From Portimāo to Paul Ricard and from the Ferrari 348 Challenge to the F355 Challenge, as the celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the Prancing Horse single-marque series continue, featuring the cars that have made its history. The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe, whose second round gets underway this weekend after the season opener in Portugal earlier in April, is set to include the F355 Challenge, which lined up alongside and eventually replaced the 348 Challenge in 1995. Taking to the French track will be the no. 1 car in the yellow livery, sporting the name of Costantino Bertuzzi, the driver hailing from Piacenza who was one of the great protagonists in the series, dominating the 1996, 1997 and 1998 seasons.
The F355 Challenge is a direct derivation of the road-going berlinetta. The most significant differences involved the exhaust system and clutch, plus the safety features required for use on the track: roll cage, six-point harness, fire extinguisher, front and rear tow bar and electrical circuit breaker. The engine remained the same, a 380-horsepower V8. The F355 Challenge model stayed on track until 2000 when it raced alongside its replacement, the newborn Ferrari 360 Challenge.